sab·sab (sab´sab) n. in the tales of Pern, an herb found growing upon hillsides near Bitra hold, and whose ground roots produce a yellow pigment. [? < Sp. sabadilla (Schoenocaulon officinale A.Gray, of the Melanthiaceae); or alternatively ? < NL Sabsab Adans., a grass genus now part of Paspalum L., of the Poaceae]

saint Dabeoc’s heathn. either of the species of the genus Daboecia D.Don (especially D. cantabrica (Huds.) K.Koch, of the Ericaceae), which are upright heaths growing on cliffs and rocks in coastal Ireland, France, Iberia, and the Azores; Irish heath. [< Irish saint Dabheog (5th c.), patron saint of Lough Derg]

san·da·rac (san´də rak´) n.1 a resin, produced by the arar-tree, which has been of use in manuscript production, in perfumery, in medicine, and as a fixative in microscopy and in the arts; gum sandarac. 2 arar-tree. 3 the dark aromatic wood of this tree. [< ME sandaracha < L sandaraca < Gk. sandarákē σανδαράκη beebread]

scab·wort (skab´wôrt) n. a tall herb (Inula helenium L., of the Asteraceae) native to boreal Europe and Asia, and now naturalized in North America also; elecampane; elf dock. It frequently grows in loam at the edge of woods, easily reaching 1.5m in height, and bearing multiple large bright yellow capitula at its apex. It has a variety of uses in medicine and also as a confection. [< ME scab (< ON skabbr, akin to OE sceabb) + OE wyrt]

scar·i·fy (skär´ə fī´) v.t. make scratches in a surface, such as a seed coat , or harrow a plot of farmland. [ME < OF scarifier < LL < Gk. skariphasthai σκαριφασθαι scratch an outline] —scar´i·fi·ca´tion,n.

schil·tron (shil´tron) n. a mediæval army formation, quadrangular or circular, in which the soldiers utilize 4m pikes either as protection against cavalry charges or as an offensive weapon. [OE]

schopf·baum (shopf´boum) n. any plant which grows as a single unbranched woody trunk, up to a height of 10m, bearing leaves (usually large) in a rosette at the apex. [< G schopfbaum < schopf tuft + baum tree]

scratch·bush (skrach´bu̇sh) n. any of numerous species of the genus Urera Gaudich. (of the Urticaceae), shrubs or small trees very closely-related to the nettles, and growing natively in various tropical and subtropical locations. All bear urticating hairs upon their leaves.

scur·vy·grass (skėr´vē gras´) n. any of the various species of genus Cochlearia L. (of the Brassicaceae), herbs bearing small white flowers and somewhat sarcous leaves, and frequently-found in seaside or alpine habitats. [C. officinalis L. was previously used as a remedy for scurvy]

sea·blite (sē´blīt) n. any of the several species of Suaeda Forssk. ex J.F.Gmel. (of the Chenopodiaceae), halophytes native to seashore and salt lake shores as well as desert and alpine habitats, and bearing succulent foliage; blite.

sea-milkwortn. a creeping perennial herb common to boreal temperate seacoasts (Glaux maritima L., of the Primulaceae), bearing small pink 5-merous flowers which somewhat suggest those of milkwort.

sec·a·teurs (sek´ə tərz´) n.pl. a small pruning implement consisting of two blades with finger holes, rather like scissors, used to trim garden plants. [< F sécateur cutter < L secare to cut]

seed trayn. a shallow flat tray in which seeds may be germinated. It is large enough to allow sufficient distance between seeds, and bears small holes or channels in its base to allow water to enter. It is filled with a small amount of fine soil as a bedding medium.

self·heal (self´hēl´) n. perennial rhizomatous herbs (species of Prunella L., of the Lamiaceae), bearing purple flowers in a compact apical cymose head. [previously used as a quick treatment for wounds]

ser·ra·del·la (se´rä del´ə) n. a prostrate sericeous annual (Ornithopus L., of the Fabaceae: Papilionoideae), present in sandy soils of Europe, north Africa, and with one species in South America; bird’s-foot. [Ital. serradella diminutive saw]

shade (shād) adj. of a plant, capable of growth while avoiding exposure to direct sunlight, or preferring growth under or sheltered by other plants or structures. Depending upon context, this may specifically apply to the preferences of the plant when flowering or fruiting.

shale (shāl) n. v. —n. the shell or husk of a fruit, usually a nut but also sometimes the legume of peas or beans. —v.t. remove (seeds) from their husk or pod. —v. of individual fruits, allow seeds to fall. [< ME schale husk, pod < OE scealu < ON skál scale]

she-oak (shē´ōk´) n.1 any of the shrubs or trees currently comprising the familia Casuarinaceae, native to the region of Australasia, bearing photosynthetic ultimate branchlets with whorls of leaves reduced to scales at their many nodes; beefwood; ironwood. Its fruits are samaroid nuts, borne from dense spikes of female flowers. 2 the wood of these species.

shepherd’s cressn. either of a couple of low annual or biennial herbs (Teesdalia nudicaulis (L.) W.T.Aiton and T. coronopifolia (J.P.Bergeret) Thell., both of the Brassicaceae) consisting of a basal rosette of pinnatilobate leaves with a large distal lobe, and one or two naked ascending flowering stems, growing as ruderals on dry ground, but avoiding chalk.

shi·i·ta·ke (shē´ē tä ke) n. a cultivated edible mushroom (Lentinula edodes (Berk.) Pegler, of the Basidiomycota), growing natively in China, Korea, and Japan upon fallen wood, and much appreciated for its rich delicate flavour. It also has several medicinal uses, but can cause dermatitis in some. [< J. 椎茸< 椎 (shii) the Japanese chinquapin tree + 茸(take) mushroom]

sneeze·wood (snēz´wu̇d´) n.1 any of a small genus of trees native to southern Africa (Ptaeroxylon Eckl. & Zeyh., of the Ptaeroxylaceae). 2 the dense wood of these trees, which – when ground to powder – may induce sneezing and has a peppery smell; neishout.

snow·drop (snō´drop) n. an herb native to Europe (Galanthus nivalis L., of the Amaryllidaceae), which is much cultivated for its attractive and early pendent white campanulate flowers with green markings. It grows from a bulb.

snow·flake (snō´flāk´) n. any of an Eurasian herbal genus (Leucojum L., of the Amaryllidaceae), bearing pendant white flowers somewhat suggesting those of snowdrop, but more urceolate.

solar furnacen. in botany, a minute furnace comprising a pistil or carpellate whorl at the focus of a parametric dish of petals (which are usually white), enabling warmer temperatures to be attained in sunlight while seeds are fertilized and mature. Certain arctic and alpine plant species bear flowers in the nature of a solar furnace.

son·ra·i (sōn rä´ē) n. in the novel Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay, a shrub which grows upon Mt. Sangarios on the island of Chiara, and which bears blood-red berries in clusters. The berries are intoxicating.

so·ra·pus (sō´rə püs´) n. in the novel Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, a hardwood tree of Barsoom (Mars), providing wood useful to fabrication, and bearing as fruit a large succulent nut. [Barsoomian]

sor·rel (sôr´əl) n. any of a number of species of the genus Rumex L. (principally the European R. acetosa L. and R. scutatus L. of the Polygonaceae) which are used in salads and cooking for their acidic leaves; dock. [ME < OF sorele sour < Gmc.]

soy·lent (soi´lənt) n.1 in the novel Make Room, Make Room!, by Harry Harrison, an artificial food substitute which is confected from raw ingredients, in a world where natural plants and animals have been exterminated. 2 a food preparation, various recipes of which are available on the internet, but which is basically a mixture of multivitamins, fibre, various minerals, carbohydrates, protein, and served in soy milk. [< E soybean + lentil]

spec·i·fi·er (spes´ə fī´ər) n. with reference to PhyloCode, a species, specimen, or (in some cases) an apomorphy which is cited as a reference point in a phylogenetic definition of a name for a clade. [< OF specifier]

spec·i·men (spes´ə min´) n.1 an individual organism employed as a representative of its species or type for scientific study. 2 in reference to PhyloCode, a typus. [< L specimen proof, model < specere look at]

spice·bush (spīs´bu̇sh) n. any of several aromatic shrubs of the genera Calycanthus L. (of the Calycanthaceae) or Lindera Thunb. (of the Lauraceae), largely those native to North America, and bearing glabrous obovate or oblanceolate leaves. Several have been used as a source of spice from their bark or fruit.

spi·der (spī´dər) n. among the daylilies, a plant exhibiting flower morphology in which the petals and sepals show a length-to-width ratio of at least 4:1.

spin·dle (spin´dəl) n.1 a slender formation of microtubules which forms within cells of many (but not all) eukaryotic species at cell division, and to which the centromeres of chromosomes attach and are collectively drawn to opposite ends of the dividing cell. 2 spindle tree. [< OE spinel]

spo·ro·derm (spô´rə dėrm´) n. the cell wall and associated structures which protect spores upon release from their parent organism. The wall may be structurally divided into layers such as the intine and exine, as well as perine and filosum in some cases. [NL < Gk. spora σπορά seed + derma δέρμα skin]

spud (spəd) n.1Informal. a potato (rhizome). 2 a small, narrow spade used for cutting roots of weeds. 3 a tool resembling a chisel, often used for removing tree bark. 4Slang. vodka. —v.t. use a spud to eradicate (weeds) or remove (bark). [ME spudde a short knife]

star·flow·er (stär´flou´ėr) n. any of a number of species which generate flowers suggestive of stars in the sky – among them the species named star-of-Bethlehem, as well as species of Trientalis Rupp. ex L. (of the Primulaceae).

star-of-Bethlehemn. any of a large number of herbal species of the white-flowered Ornithogalum L. (of the Hyacinthaceae) and the yellow-flowered Gagea Salisb. (of the Liliaceae), both of which bear striking flowers among upright linear leaves, and are native to central Europe, western Asia, and southern Africa. Both are now cultivated for their flowers.

star-tulipn. a subset of species of the North American genus Calochortus Pursh (of the Liliaceae), which tend to generate flowers with erect acute petals, and to grow in wet meadows.

steep (stēp) v.t. soak leaves or other plant parts in hot water, in order to extract flavour and effective ingredients from them and constitute a beverage, or to soften them. [ME < Gmc.]

ste·no·hy·drous (ste´nō hī´drəs) adj. of an organism, having a restricted range of hydration within which it can survive. [NL < Gk. stenos στενός narrow + hýdōr ὕδωρ water + L -osus prone to]

strap·wort (strap´wôrt) n. a branching prostrate annual herb native to northern Europe (Corrigiola litoralis L, of the Molluginaceae), growing on sandy or gravelly shores of intermittently-flooded lakeshores. Its minute flowers are coloured a mixture of white, green, and red.

straw pipen. the hollow stem or stalk of grass, when employed in handicrafts, to distinguish the hollow portion from the solid node. [descriptive]

stress (stres) n. v.t. —n. a suffering from lack of appropriate levels in one or several required resources. —v.t.1 subject an organism to inappropriate levels of particular resources which it requires. 2 give emphasis to a particular point in a report. [ME abbrev. of distress < OF estresse narrowness, oppression < L strictus tight, close] —stres´sor,n.

stro·bi·lus (strō´bi ləs) n.-bi·li.1 a reproductive cone-like structure composed of sporophylls, as of the club mosses, horsetails, cycads, and pinophytes. The sporophylls are generally in an overlapping or spiral arrangement along the axis of the strobilus. 2 an infructescence in which many floral bracts are arranged in an overlapping fashion, as in the hop plant. [NL < Gk. stróbīlos στρόβιλος pine cone, whirlwind, whirling dance < stróbos στρόβος whirling around] —stro´bi·lar´,adj.

stub (stəb) n. v.t. —n.1 a plant’s rooted remains, such as following a harvesting by cutting, or a broken treetrunk; stump. 2 a similar projecting remnant of a plant organ, such as a remnant minor branch upon a major branch; stump. —v.t.1 dig up the roots of a plant. 2 clear (an area of land) of stubs; stump. [OE stubb stump of a tree < Gmc.] —stubbed,adj.

stump (stəmp) n. v.t. —n.1 the bottom of a tree trunk, just above the root crown, which remains after a tree breaks its trunk or is cut; stub. 2 a similar projecting remnant of a plant organ, such as a remnant minor branch upon a major branch; stub. —v.t.1 reduce to a stump, truncate. 2 clear (an area of land) of stumps; stub. [ME stompe < MDu. stomp; there is evidence of an obs. OE verb related to tripping (or stumbling) over an exposed stump]

stump farmn. in Canada, used of farms or ranches established in undeveloped terrain in which crops are planted – or animals graze – among remnant tree stumps.

stump ranchn. in British Columbia, used of ranches with undeveloped terrain in which animals graze among remnant tree stumps; stump farm.

stunt (stənt) v.t. retard the growth or development of an individual or organ.

suc·ceed·ing (sək sē´ding) adj. of or referring to that which follows.

suc·ces·sion (suk sesh´ən) n.1 in synecology, the process whereby an individual or a community appears upon the previous existence of necessary precursors and habitat characteristics. 2 the entire sequence of species which this succession comprises. [< L successionis successors < succēdere come close after] —suc·ces´sion·al,adj.—suc·ces´sion·al·ly,adv.

suc·cu·bous (suk´yə bəs) adj. of a leafy liverwort, bearing microphylls inserted obliquely upon the stem in such a manner that their apex is covered by the proximal end of the next superior microphyll. [NL < LL succubare lie under + OF -ous full of]

sun (sun) adj. of a plant, capable of growth while exposed to direct sunlight. Depending upon context, this may specifically apply to the preferences of the plant when flowering or fruiting.

sunken gardenn. a garden whose level surfaces are set at a level below that of the surrounding lands.

sun-spurgen. the northern Eurasian Euphorbia helioscopia L. (of the Euphorbiaceae), an annual ruderal species notable for its acrid latex, which is used in medicine; wolf’s-milk.

su·per·posed (sü´per pōzd´) adj. of buds, when the normal single bud at a leaf base is joined by a second placed immediately distal and axillary to it, the second bud is called superposed. [< F superposer]

Swamp Thingn. in certain graphic novels published by DC Comics, a character presented either as a shambling “vegetable-like creature” or as an “elemental entity”, which arises from swamp and essentially acts as a human with good intentions while never being accepted as a human. The character was devised by writer Len Wein in 1971.